African American lawyers have played an unique role in American history. Imbued with respect for the rule of law and the responsibility that such belief engenders, these lawyers have used their legal training not only to become masterful technicians but to force the legal system to live up to its creed: the promise of "equal justice under the law."
Long before the Civil Rights Movement, African American lawyers had identified the inequities in the legal order and begun to lay the foundation for social change. In storefront offices, over kitchen tables, and on porch steps, these lawyers worked diligently to protect and expand the rights of African Americans and to ensure, case by case, that justice would not forever be delayed. These lawyers overcame widespread discrimination among state bar associations and secured for African Americans an important foothold in the legal structure.
